AT LAST! Monrovia breaks through for the Mid-Valley Championship
(Arcadia) – The drought is over. The curse is done. It wasn’t simply put to rest. It was pummeled, pounded and hammered into submission Saturday night by Monrovia in a 38-8 rout of Whittier Christian in the Mid-Valley CIF championship game before 4,557 fans at Arcadia High.
Monrovia was 0-9 in CIF title games dating all the way back to 1935. For 75 years Monrovia had to endure the pain of never having won a CIF championship despite having some golden opportunities.
Just last year the Cats fell to San Dimas on a rain soaked Citrus College Field 12-7 in the Finals. But this is 2010 and it had a different ending.
Jay Henderson ran the curse out of town with four touchdowns and 167 yards in total receiving years. Nick Bueno passed over the curse completing 6 of 12 for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Christian Blanco beat it down with 68 yards on 12 carries and a score. And Derrin Jenkins, Charlie Cimmarusti and Anthony Craft picked it off as they each intercepted Whittier Christian quarterback Stephen Anderson.
After a scoreless first quarter, Henderson got things started by fielding an Anderson low line drive punt like Ozzie Smith gloves a hot ground ball. Henderson scooped it up and then raced 68 yards to the end zone of a 7-0 Wildcat lead.
The Heralds had an opportunity to draw first blood on the previous drive marching down to the Monrovia 18 but the ball popped out of Grant Escobar’s grasp and George Frazier fell on it.
Whittier Christian was forced to punt again on the next series and Monrovia immediately took advantage. The Cats took over at the 50 and one play later Bueno broke off a 19 yard run down to the 28. From there Bueno threw a strike to Henderson on a corner route for the touchdown. Henderson pulled in the ball at the last second not allowing the defender to know it was coming. The Wildcats took a 14-0 lead into the half.
Last week the Heralds were twice down by two touchdowns in a win over Village Christian so there was no panic. But there was early in the third quarter as Henderson got loose again.
Monrovia took possession at its own 35. One play later Bueno hooked up with Henderson on a 63 yard touchdown pass for a three score lead. Henderson again got behind the Herald secondary and raced to glory.
On the ensuing kick off disaster struck. Mason Bryant’s kick bounced off the face mask of Taylor Smith and landed in front of him. With Monrovia’s coverage team bearing down on him, Smith was unable to find the ball and Zach El’radi pounced on it at the 13. The Whittier Christian defense held and the Cats settled for a 32 yard Bryant field goal.
Whittier Christian finally got the ball in the third quarter down 24-0 but lost it again when Craft came down with an Anderson pass off of a tipped ball and M-Town set up shop at its own 48. It was Bueno to Henderson one more time. This time the senior caught a slant over the middle and did the rest himself sprinting 46 yards through the Herald defense for the score and a 31-0 advantage.
There was still 6:36 left in the third quarter but if you listened closely you could almost hear the late Dandy Don Meredith crooning “Turn out the lights, the party’s over…”
Escobar went off tackle later in the third and turned it into a 42 yard TD jaunt. He followed it up with a run up the gut for the two point conversion. But that was the only noise Whittier Christian made.
Jenkins picked off a pass and returned it to the two early in the fourth. After a one yard loss, Blanco bull dozed in from three yards out for the final score.
Escobar rushed for 101 yards and the touchdown for Whittier Christian. Anderson had a tough night as he completed 14 of 38 for 148 yards and 3 interceptions. Escobar caught 6 passes for 66 yards. But it wasn’t nearly enough to combat Henderson’s heroics.
Monrovia rolled through the Rio Hondo League uncontested and was never really threatened in the playoffs. The Wildcats opened the post season by beating Gladstone by 39. They took care of San Dimas in the semis by 33 and Whittier Christian by 30 in the Finals. Their toughest test was 14 point win over Schurr in the second round.
And as Monrovia Coach Ryan Maddox raised the Championship plaque over his head following the game never again will the question have to be asked. “When will Monrovia win a CIF Final?”
WC 0 0 8 0 8
M 0 14 17 7 38
Summary:
2nd Qtr:
M 8:44 Henderson 68 yd punt ret. (Bryant Kick)
M 7:06 Henderson 28 yd pass from Bueno (Bryant Kick)
3rd Qtr:
M 11:00 Henderson 63 yd pass from Bueno (Bryant Kick)
M 9:21 Bryant 32 yd FG
M 6:36 Henderson 46 yd pass from Bueno (Bryant Kick)
WC 3:41 Escobar 42 yd run (Escobar run – 2 pt)
4th Qtr:
M 11:27 Blanco 3 yd run (Bryant Kick)
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